Here We Remain
by PutteringPoet
Summary: Things are different between Katara and Zuko. After their trip, there has been something more. Is there anything they can do to stop this change? Fluffy fluffiness.


Ever since they'd come back from their "adventure", things had been very different between them.

Katara felt his eyes on her many times. She was never sure of what he was searching for and too scared to ask.

He would offer to help her with her chores and sometimes she accepted. They would work together in quiet companionship. But always, she felt a sense of probing, an unease between them. She wasn't sure what it meant.

Zuko knew he couldn't stop watching Katara. He knew it was a problem. But he didn't care.

He helped her wash dishes or gather berries. He longed to be near to her, but physical closeness couldn't satisfy him. There remained a distance that he couldn't breach. But he refused to simply accept that.

Aang watched them. He wasn't sure why their relationship bothered him, or even what their relationship was. He only knew that there was something there that he didn't have with Katara; something more. In that knowledge he found no peace.

One day, Zuko stepped close to reach in front of Katara for a berry. Her heart pounded and his breathing stopped. He stared down at her while she seemed enraptured by a branch in front of her.

Katara wasn't confused anymore after that.

Zuko had the scent of her hair in his nose until he fell asleep that night.

The next afternoon, Aang simply watched as they bickered about his training.

"He needs a gentle word, not a second degree burn on his chest!"

"I am far more in control than that, Katara! But he certainly doesn't need any more coddling from me!"

"Once again, Zuko, I do not coddle him! I simply think there is a better way to encourage and motivate him."

Aang felt the need to break in at that, "Um guys? I'm right here. I just want to say you both have different methods of teaching and neither are worse than the other."

Katara and Zuko huffed in unison, and Aang stared incredulously.

"Listen, kid, leave this to us."

"Aang, I'm sorry, but stay out of it."

The young Avatar threw his hands up in the air and went to sit on a rock and halfheartedly practiced some firebending forms. He felt helpless. He left when they started sparring.

Katara felt a rush of adrenaline fill her as she threw rope after rope of water at the exiled Fire Prince. He blocked each one, but didn't see the wave coming up behind him. It took him down and under the surface.

When he didn't reappear immediately, panic filled her. She reached out with her bending to search for him in the water and found him- right in front of her!

She yelped when Zuko's grinning face suddenly emerged and grabbed her wrist.

"Gotcha." He said and pulled her off the shore.

"Zuko!" was all she managed to yell before she found herself under the cold water.

When she popped back up, she glared at the boy laughing his ass off mere inches away. But her anger melted as she realized she couldn't remember ever seeing him laugh like this. She couldn't help but stare.

When Zuko finally got it out of his system, he found Katara's gaze and felt his face grow warm. "What? Is there a leech on my face?"

She said nothing, but kept her eyes on him. There was an expression there that made him hope.

"Katara..."

"You laughed. You look different when you laugh."

He moved closer. She remained there, her lips parting slightly.

"Different how?" His voice was husky now.

"Just... Happy." His demeanor had been open and inviting. The strength of his shoulders had been calling her eyes to study their strength all day.

"I was happy to dunk you." He was almost to her.

One corner of her mouth moved upward. He wanted to taste that mouth.

"You watch me. Every day." Now she realized that she had been watching him all along too.

He was there now. He could hear her breathing, it was as if she had been running.

"I can't help it." He looked deep into her blue eyes and captured her lips with his. She slid them closed and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He sucked in a deep breath at her eager response, then slid his hands to her back and pulled her to him. She felt so small and so soft. He wondered at the feel of her fitted against him.

She made a small noise when he brushed a hand up her side and he deepened the kiss. She pulled him even tighter and he couldn't stop from groaning at the feel of her breasts pushing against his chest. She chuckled and he bit her lip for it. Then he kissed her ear, throat, and jaw slowly.

Her head fell back and she moaned, "Zuko..." He felt his stomach pool with heat at the way she said his name. He couldn't believe he was touching her, kissing her, holding her like this. He didn't want it to ever stop.

The water flowed up beneath them and seemed to be keeping them at the top without any help from Zuko.

But he was more focused on the salty taste of Katara's skin and whether he could catch all the water droplets running down her neck. His hand drifted down her back to squeeze her ass gently. She responded by running her nails across his neck, down his bare back and his skin tingled in response.

Katara couldn't believe how much she responded to him. He was like an oasis in a desert and she a parched straggler. His waters were what she craved and now she drank in all she could.

"Katara..." He moaned. She kissed him hard and arched into his chest to make him moan some more. She wanted to make him feel what she did. His hand groped her sides, suddenly desperate for skin.

"How do I undo your clothing?" He whispered in her ear as he drew his fingers across her stomach. She drew in a sharp breath and he smiled.

"It's the white sash."

He tugged at it and it came undone. He reached to pull one side of her dress away and slipped his hands in to envelop her waist. She shuddered and wrapped her legs around his waist. He clenched his jaw at the feel of her on him. It wasn't like anything he had ever known before.

"Katara.." He murmured. She kissed his lips firmly and ran her fingers through his hair.

He rubbed circles into her stomach with his thumbs and wondered at the feel of her soft skin. He let one hand slide up until his fingers brushed the underside of her breast through her bindings. She began kissing his neck and he let his hand brush her again.

The sensation of his hand on her breast was wonderful and she arched her back encouragingly. Zuko cupped the soft flesh and ran his thumb over her nipple. She whimpered and bit his shoulder hard. Zuko did it again and her hips rocked into him. He pushed back and her eyes flew open.

Katara suddenly felt anxiety at these new sensations. She and Jet had only gone so far.

She pulled back then. He took the hint and kissed her gently, returning his hands to her soft waist. She unwrapped her legs, and he sighed with regret, trying to hold on a little longer. She placated him with a nibble on his neck.

"Mmm..." He whined a little. She let him kiss her a little more before resting her head on his shoulder. He savored the feeling of having her in his arms and her taste on his tongue.

Katara laughed and he could feel her smile on his skin. "What?" He asked, putting his nose into her wet hair.

"That was just... Amazing."

"Yeah..." He agreed, kissing the top of her ear. "Did I go too far?"

She rolled her head to the side and he nibbled the tender skin right below her earlobe.

"You didn't go anywhere I didn't want you to."

"I've been wanting to kiss you for a while."

"We did way more than kiss."

"Yeah we did." He circled his thumbs over her stomach and her muscles tightened.

"I knew you wanted to."

"And you let me?"

"I did." She smiled up at him and he felt something inside him fill up.

He bent his head down and kissed her softly, tenderly. When he pulled back she had a smile on her face. He smiled right into her eyes. She pecked his nose almost shyly.

When they got to camp, the sun was setting and everyone gave them very annoyed and confused looks.

They just smiled and apologized. Katara went to start dinner and Zuko said he had to go wash off.

Aang watched it all with a heavy heart.

That night, Katara couldn't stop her heart from pounding. Her thoughts were twisted up and she couldn't get them straight again.

She huffed, threw off her covers, and stalked out into the night.

She couldn't stop thinking of him. His hands, his mouth, his eyes.

She couldn't stop feeling guilty. She'd promised herself not to go too far too fast with a guy again. And she'd broken that promise with Zuko of all people!

She couldn't reconcile the different sides of Zuko. The one who'd captured her, the other who'd been in the caverns with her, the one who'd sought to kill her friend, the other who sparred with her after bickering, and finally the one who kissed her like she'd never been kissed.

Her heart pounded and her head swam. She stopped in her tracks and looked up to the stars, searching for an anchor for her thoughts.

 _Mother, I don't know what I'm doing. Gran-Gran, he makes me feel crazy._ She sighed and breathed in deeply.

"Katara?" A rough voice whispered behind her.

She turned around and there he was, the subject of her inward struggle.

"Are you okay?" His eyes searched her face. She studied him, seeing his rumpled sleeping clothes, messy hair, and a vulnerable look on his face.

"Zuko, I don't know what to do with you." She walked to him, and pushed a patch of hair out of his face.

He didn't know what to do with her either. This crazy, passionate, hopeful girl. She was someone he'd chased, sought to use, hated beyond belief, and finally someone who he couldn't stop thinking about.

"I'm sorry, Katara. I'm sorry for everything I've done. It hurts to think about how much I wanted to hurt all of you. I am different now. I want different things." He wanted to touch her, but held off. Her blue eues pierced his heart, her hair was undone and wild.

"I believe you. I've forgiven you." She cupped his scarred cheek and ran a thumb over the rough flesh. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch.

They stood there for a long moment.

"What are you doing up?" Katara asked him.

"I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about... earlier."

"Me too." She whispered hesitantly. "Zuko, that meant a lot to me. I was wondering what it meant to you."

His eyes jerked open and his eyes roved her face. "Katara, I care about you, more than I ever thought I would. Like I said, I've been wanting to kiss you for a while. I want to know you better, Katara. You're amazing and you make me want to be better." He gripped her waist and pulled her to him, desperate for her to see.

She braced her hands on his shoulders and looked deep into his eyes. That had been far more than she was expecting from the Fire Prince. She couldn't speak or do anything but look into his eyes.

Zuko couldn't help it now. He leaned down and kissed her slowly. When he pulled back he had a question for her, "What do I mean to you, Katara?"

What did he mean to her? He meant fiery challenges, heavy glances, and a pounding heart. He was the Fire Prince. He was the boy who missed his mother and was wounded by his father and sister. He was the young man who chose a different path, the harder path. He was her avenger, who hoped to reconcile the wrongs done to her. He was her partner, helping to train Aang, helping to gather berries and wash dishes.

She looked up at him now and saw someone who she respected and who amazed her day after day.

"Zuko, you're more than everyone thought you would be. You're everything your uncle hoped you would become. And you're someone I've started to depend on. I can't tell you how much I don't want to lose you. I don't want to let you go." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with all she had.

When she stopped both of them were breathless, hanging on to each other.

He couldn't stop the joy from bursting his heart. She welcomed the warmth spreading throughout her.

They stood under the night sky, wrapped up in each other's arms, and remained.

* * *

So this is basically my favorite thing I've written for Zutara... Check out my other story for them, Will You Know Me Then. I am still working on it, this fluff was something I needed to exercise my writing, Zutara brain.

Review if you have something to say! (: Thanks!


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